Tech Back Home to Face Pitt

Georgia Tech (8-8, 1-5 ACC) vs. Pittsburgh (11-6, 4-2 ACC)

• Saturday, January 14, 2023 | 3 p.m. ET | Atlanta, Ga. | McCamish Pavilion
• Television:  ACC Network
• Play-by-Play:  Mike Monaco  |  Analyst: Randolph Childress
• Radio:  Georgia Tech Sports Network by Legends Sports (In Atlanta: 680 AM/93.7 FM | SiriusXM ch. 136/194, SXM app 956 | Listen Online | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets App | TuneIn
• Play-by-Play: Andy Demetra  |  Analyst: Randy Waters
• Promotions:  Gold t-shirt giveaway, K9 in Flight Frisbee Dogs halftime performance

THE FLATS – Aiming to rebound from a pair of road losses in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Georgia Tech return home for its next three games, beginning Saturday when the Yellow Jackets host Pittsburgh at 3 p.m. at McCamish Pavilion.

After ending the nine-game winning streak of first-place Miami at home last Wednesday, Tech (8-8, 1-5 ACC) lost both of its subsequent games at Florida State (75-64) and Notre Dame (73-72 in overtime) and finds itself a half-game out of last place in the conference standings. The Yellow Jackets’ two home losses this season came to Clemson on Dec. 21 and Virginia on Dec. 31, both by double digits.

Pitt (11-6, 4-2 ACC) comes to Atlanta also having lost two straight games, a 77-69 decision at Duke Wednesday night and a 75-74 loss at home to first-place Clemson last Saturday. Tha Panthers had won 10 of 11 games before that, including their first four ACC games against NC State, Syracuse, North Carolina and Virginia. Pitt is 3-2 in true road games this season, and is one of five teams tied for third place in the ACC standings, two games out of first.

Saturday’s game will be televised live on the ACC Network, with a live stream available on the ESPN app. Radio coverage is on the Georgia Tech Sports Network by Legends Sports and flagship station 680 the Fan (680 AM/93.7 FM), and also on satellite radio (SiriusXM channel 136 or 194, SXM app 956.

THE TIP-OFF

• Georgia Tech plays its next three games at McCamish Pavilion, where it is 7-2 this season. The Yellow Jackets entertain NC State Tuesday and Syracuse next Saturday.
• Tech has defeated Pitt five straight times at home, and has won seven of eight games all-time.
• Tech remains the top team in the ACC in three-point defense, allowing 28.2 percent from distance this season in all games.
• Tech has used seven different starting lineups this season. Nine Yellow Jackets have started at least two games, and eight of them have started a minimum of seven times.
• Tech and Pitt have one common non-conference opponent – Alabama State. The Yellow Jackets beat the Hornets 96-60 on Dec. 17, a month after the Panthers scored a 73-54 win.

Ja’von Franklin posted this third double-double this season against Notre Dame. (photo by Rachel Pincus)

SERIES VS. PITTSBURGH

• Georgia Tech has won the last three games in the series and five of the last six to take a 12-5 in the overall series, 7-5 since Pittsburgh joined the ACC. The Yellow Jackets won the only meeting between the two teams in 2021-22, a 68-62 decision at the Petersen Events Center.
• Tech’s 73-57 win in its final home game of the 2019-20 campaign was the widest margin of victory for either team since Pitt joined the ACC. Eight of the 10 meetings as ACC foes have been decided by eight points or less.
• The teams have played home-and-away only twice since the Panthers joined the ACC.
• Tech won the first five games in the series, prior to Pitt’s entry into the ACC, all of which took place between 1966 and 1989. The Panthers won the first three meetings after joining the conference.
• Tech has won six of eight games between the two teams since Josh Pastner became the head coach.
• Tech is 5-1 against the Panthers’ current head coach, Jeff Capel, having scored an 86-65 victory over VCU during the 2003-04 season when Capel was the Rams’ head coach.

TEAM TRENDS

• Tech sent out its seventh different starting lineup of the season at Notre Dame, inserting Ja’von Franklin for Jalon Moore, who had started the last 10 games and was held out due to injury. Franklin started for the first time since Dec. 10 at North Carolina, when he sustained a groin injury and was limited over the next three games.
• Tech is 1-8 this season when the opponent makes a higher percentage of its field goal attempts, 7-0 when it has a better percentage.
• Tech’s bench has outscored that of its opponent 10 times in 16 games this season, getting a season-high 37 points at Notre Dame after tallying just 17 against Miami and Florida State combined. The Jackets enter this weekend’s games No. 1 in the ACC in bench scoring (21.9 ppg).
• Tech ranks No. 138 in the nation this season in bench minutes (32.5 pct. entering the game), and only one other Josh Pastner Tech team has seen its reserves play more.
• Tech is 33-of-91 (36.2 percent) from three-point range over its last four games, and are at 33 percent for all games this season, 33.6 percent in ACC games.
• Tech leads the ACC and ranks No. 14 in the nation in three-point defense (27.7 pct.) before Tuesday night’s game. Notre Dame, Virginia and FSU combined to hit 29-of-71 against the Jackets, while North Carolina, Clemson and Miami were 13-for-63 combined.
• Tech is 36-of-43 (83.7 pct.) from the foul line in its last three games and has connected on 75.6 percent from the stripe in ACC games.

PLAYER UPDATES

• After playing barely 12 minutes and not scoring in Tech’s last two games and nearly the entire first half at Notre Dame, Kyle Sturdivant came off the bench to play 13:35 in the second half and all five minutes of overtime at Notre Dame, scoring a career-high 18 points against the Irish. He scored all seven of Tech’s points in the overtime period, notching his first double-digit game since his previous season best of 14 on Dec 21 against Clemson. It was his fifth double-digit game this season.
• Similarly, Deivon Smith nearly doubled his scoring output from Tech’s last six games (17 points) by scoring 16 against Notre Dame, matching his season high of 16 against North Alabama and posting his first double-digit game since Dec. 6 (10 vs. Georgia).
• Smith’s 2.41 assist/turnover ratio ranks third among the ACC’s leaders. He has 24 rebounds (8.0 pg) and 18 assists (6.0 pg) over his last three games.
• Ja’von Franklin made his first start since Dec. 10, when he sustained a groin injury at North Carolina, and notched his third double-double of the season (12 points, 12 rebounds). Franklin added three assists and blocked four shots, and did not commit a turnover in 44:57. He sat only for Notre Dame’s final possession of the first half.
• Miles Kelly is averaging a team-high 16.5 points, has hit 43.8 percent of his threes and all 16 of his free throw attempts over six ACC games.
• Kelly has emerged as one of the ACC’s top three-point marksmen and highest volume three-point shooters, ranking fourth in percentage (40.4) and sixth in both three-pointers made (2.5 per game) and attempted (99).
• Lance Terry is averaging 10.5 points in ACC games (Tech’s only other player other than Kelly averaging in double figures for ACC games) while hitting 10-of-25 from three-point range (40 percent).

Kyle Sturdivant scored a career-high 18 points at Notre Dame. (photo by Danny Karnik)

Alexander-Tharpe Fund

The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL

Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team has completed six seasons under head coach Josh Pastner, winning the Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 2021 and making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 11 years. Tech has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, won four ACC Championships (1985, 1990, 1993, 2021), played in the NCAA Tournament 17 times and played in two Final Fours (1990, 2004). Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball on social media by liking their Facebook Page, or following on Twitter (@GTMBB) and Instagram. For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com.